Collapsible crate.



P. POTUCEK.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 001.2. 1914.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

ima.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. POTUCEK.

COLLAPSIBLE cam.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.Z, 1914- 1.,18133. Patented Nov, 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PAUL POTUCEK, 0F BAMSDELL, TEXAS.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

Application filed October 2, 1914..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL Po'rUoEK, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Ramsdell, in the county of Wheeler and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C01- lapsible Crates, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in collapsible crates.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a metallic crate of this character which will be comparatively light, but strong and durable, which may be assembled or dismantled with facility, and which is particularly adapted for use in connection with a canvas or other bag of fabricated material.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of sections of the crate, and their securing means, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crate complete, with a bag inclosed or incased therein. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top section or lid frame, with the lid turned back therefrom. Fig. 3 is an enlarged de-' tail fragmentary view showing the upper section or lid frame and the lower section and one of the side braces therebetween. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, detached view of one end of the crate showing the hinged or foldable panels forming the ends of the crate. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of the bag or wrapper that is adapted to hold goods and be carried in the crate.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, the collapsible crate is made up of units or sections, as for instance the top section 1, the bottom section 2, two end sections 3, and two sides (front and back) 4; and the top section 1 has hinged thereto the lid 5. These sections are preferably made up of metal such as angle iron, and they are rectangular in shape as shown. The top section 1, as best seen in Fig. 2, is provided at its four corners with an eye plate 6 or perforated Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 864,695.

lug, and at the corners, brace corner-plates 7 are utilized to make the joints rigid.

At the front of the section 1 there are preferably attached the two eye plates 8, 8, and two eye bolts 9, 9, are also attached to the front bar of the section.

At the rear of the top section, the lid 5 is hinged, the hinged joints being indicated at 10, 10, and the lid carries a pair of perforated hasps as 11, 11, adapted to pass over the eyebolts 9, and be locked by a pin as 12 (Fig. 1). In this manner the hinged lid may be locked in position on the top section. Preferably straps 13 are used in the lid to partially close the open frame.

The bottom section 2 is complementary to the top or lid section, and this section also is provided with four perforated plates, 15, one at each corner and projecting diagonally therefrom. Straps or slats 16, which extend horizontally from side to side and diagonally from corner to corner, are utilized to close the otherwise open bottom section 2, and preferably a number of rollers, as 17 are secured to the bottom section by plates 18, so that the crate may be transported with facility.

The top section and bottom section are preferably connected by foldable braces as 19, 19, which are made up of sections 20 and 21 pivoted together at 22, with their free ends pivoted at 23 to the eye plates 8 and 18 on the top section and bottom. A hook 24 pivoted at 25 on the section 21 is adapted to engage the pin 26 on the section 20 and hold the sections in alined position as in Fig. 3. It will be understood that there are two pairs of these braces, one at the front and one at the rear of the crate and that they connect the bottom and top sections to hold them in rigid relationshi The ends 3 are preferably made up of two panels 27 and 28, hinged together at 28, and held in rigid relationship by means of the hooks 29 which are pivoted at 30 on the panel 28 and engage pins 31 on the panel 27. These end sections each have four eyeplates, as the two upper ones 32 and the two lower ones 33, and a handle 34 may also be attached to each end member.

The front and rear sides 1 are also each provided with four eye plates as the two upper ones 35 and. the two lower ones 15',

In Fig. 5 a canvas bag A is diagrammatically represented which is adapted to be incased Within the crate to carry goods as shown in Fig. 1.

All of the crate sections are held together at the eight corners of the rectangular crate by means of the bolts 4l0 Which are passed through the respective eye-plates alined at the corners and lock the parts together.

From the above description taken in con nection With my drawings it will be evident that the sections, when assembled, may be held together by means of the bolts 40, and

that when it is desired to dismantle the crate, it is'only necessary to remove the bolts and take the sections apart. The hooked braces can then be detached from the top or bottom section and folded, and the ends folded on their hinges, and then the Copies of this patent may be obtained for sections may be compactly stored for easy handling or shipment.

What I claim is A collapsible crate adapted to inclose a canvas bag and comprising a top section With a hinged lid, a bottom section, foldable braces at the front and rear connecting said sections, front and rear sections, and foldable end sections, each of the sections having eye plates registering at the eight corners of the crate, and a detachable bolt passed through the eye plates at each corner to hold the sections together.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

PAUL POTUCEK. Witnesses B. F. HOLMES, JOHN SLOVIK.

five cents each,-by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 13,0. 

